Paperhand Puppet Intervention's alluring puppets put even a passerby in a trance. The craftsmanship, the detail, the enormity, the kick of color. These soaring puppets are catching a break backstage prior to a rousing 2-hour performance set to a live ensemble. The production stars the elusive Painted Bird and his woodland friends -- the mice, the rabbits, the hedgehogs, and a mole -- at the open air Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill. Peek around the stage's cobblestone backdrop and see a pre-show audience spellbound by a musician drumming, yes with a pair of ornate sticks, on a giant gourd-like guitar. Kids climbing rocky theatre architecture, friends chortling during a wine toast, couples with fingers intertwined and eyes entranced.

Don't let this show fly by. Paperhand Puppet Intervention's The Painted Bird runs every weekend at the Forest Theatre through September 14. Be an early bird for best seats. And pack a picnic lunch to share with your seatmates.

(photographs taken at The Forest Theatre in Chapel Hill, NC)